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Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Food Service Management study materials
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Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Food Service Management practice questions

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Question 1Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

In a typical Indian diet based on rice, wheat and millets, which macronutrient supplies the largest share of the day's total energy, roughly 70 to 80 per cent?

  1. Visible fat
  2. Dietary fibre
  3. Carbohydrate Correct answer.
  4. Protein

Explanation

Cereals, millets and tubers are eaten in large amounts and their starch supplies 4 kcal per gram, making carbohydrate the cheapest and chief energy source in Indian diets, contributing about 70 to 80 per cent of total energy. Protein and fat are also energy yielding but are consumed in much smaller quantities. Fibre passes through largely unabsorbed and gives little usable energy.

Question 2Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

In the five-food-group plan used for planning balanced meals, green leafy vegetables and deep yellow or orange fruits are placed among the protective foods chiefly because they are rich in

  1. starch and resistant fibre
  2. beta-carotene and ascorbic acid Correct answer.
  3. sodium chloride and free sugars
  4. saturated fat and cholesterol

Explanation

Protective foods are those that supply vitamins and minerals which prevent deficiency diseases and help the body resist infection. Green leafy vegetables and yellow-orange fruits are valued mainly for beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, and for vitamin C, along with iron and calcium. Cereals and tubers belong to the energy group, while pulses, milk and flesh foods belong to the body-building group.

Question 3Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which statement correctly describes the role of water as a nutrient in the human diet?

  1. It is stored in the body and seldom needs replacement
  2. It yields 4 kcal per gram on oxidation
  3. It is classed among the fat-soluble vitamins
  4. It acts as a solvent and regulates body temperature Correct answer.

Explanation

Water forms about 60 to 70 per cent of body weight and has no energy value, but it dissolves and transports nutrients, carries away waste in urine, lubricates joints and secretions, and controls body temperature through sweating. Because losses through urine, sweat and breath are continuous, it must be taken daily, roughly six to eight glasses in addition to the water present in foods.

Question 4Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Fresh milk is best described as which type of colloidal system?

  1. a liquid-in-solid gel, as in a fruit jelly
  2. an oil-in-water emulsion of fat globules Correct answer.
  3. a solid-in-liquid sol, as in a starch paste
  4. a gas-in-liquid foam, as in egg white foam

Explanation

In milk the dispersed phase is fat, present as tiny globules, and the dispersion medium is water, so milk is an oil-in-water emulsion stabilised by a protein membrane around each globule. When milk is churned or stood, the globules clump and butter separates, which is why homogenisation is used to keep the emulsion uniform.

Question 5Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

The brown colour of a bread crust and the aroma of roasted coffee are produced by the Maillard reaction, which requires

  1. a reducing sugar and an amino group of a protein Correct answer.
  2. starch and water only, heated below 50 degrees Celsius
  3. a fat and an alkaline medium under cold conditions
  4. vitamin C and iron salts in a strongly acidic medium

Explanation

The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic browning in which the carbonyl group of a reducing sugar condenses with the free amino group of a protein or amino acid, giving brown melanoidin pigments and characteristic roasted aromas. It needs heat and a fairly dry surface, which is why bread browns in the oven and not while boiling. Caramelisation, by contrast, involves sugars alone.

Question 6Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

When rice is cooked in water, the starch granules absorb water, swell and burst, and the liquid thickens. In food science this change is called

  1. dextrinisation
  2. coagulation
  3. caramelisation
  4. gelatinisation Correct answer.

Explanation

Gelatinisation occurs when starch is heated in water, roughly between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius: the granules take up water, swell, lose their crystalline order and release amylose, which thickens the liquid. On cooling, the leached amylose can set into a gel, as in porridge or a thickened sauce. It is an irreversible change once the granules have ruptured.

Question 7Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which set lists only fat-soluble vitamins?

  1. Ascorbic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid
  2. Cyanocobalamin, biotin, pantothenic acid
  3. Retinol, calciferol, tocopherol Correct answer.
  4. Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin

Explanation

Vitamins A (retinol), D (calciferol), E (tocopherol) and K dissolve in fat, are absorbed with dietary fat through the action of bile, and are stored in the liver and adipose tissue. They are therefore best supplied by foods cooked with a little oil or ghee, and excessive intakes can accumulate to toxic levels. Water-soluble vitamins are largely excreted in urine and must be supplied daily.

Question 8Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

A meal of rice with dal is nutritionally superior to rice eaten alone mainly because the pulse

  1. makes the meal alkaline and prevents protein from breaking down
  2. supplies lysine, the amino acid that limits rice protein Correct answer.
  3. raises the fat content of the meal and slows down digestion
  4. supplies vitamin C, which improves the absorption of iron

Explanation

Cereal proteins are deficient in lysine while pulse proteins are deficient in methionine but rich in lysine, so eating them together complements the amino acid pattern and improves overall protein quality, a principle called mutual supplementation. The pulse also adds protein, B vitamins and fibre, but the specific nutritional gain sought here is the missing limiting amino acid.

Question 9Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Cut apples, brinjal and potatoes darken on standing at room temperature because of

  1. caramelisation of sugars during storage at room temperature
  2. polyphenol oxidase acting on phenols in the presence of air Correct answer.
  3. oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by the enzyme lipase
  4. the Maillard reaction between sugars and amino acids

Explanation

In intact tissue the enzyme polyphenol oxidase and its phenolic substrates are kept apart in different compartments. Cutting ruptures the cells, oxygen enters, and the enzyme converts phenols into quinones, which polymerise into brown pigments. Blanching in boiling water for about a minute or dipping the cut pieces in acidulated, salted or sugared water inactivates the enzyme or keeps out oxygen.

Question 10Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which change correctly describes oxidative rancidity of an edible fat?

  1. Hydrolysis of triglycerides by lipase, releasing free fatty acids and glycerol
  2. Melting of solid fat into a liquid state when heated to its melting point
  3. Emulsification of fat by bile salts during digestion in the small intestine
  4. Oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids giving aldehydes and off-flavour Correct answer.

Explanation

Oxidative rancidity is autoxidation, in which unsaturated fatty acids combine with atmospheric oxygen to form hydroperoxides that break down into aldehydes, ketones and short-chain acids with a disagreeable smell and taste. Light, heat, trace metals such as copper and iron, and the enzyme lipoxygenase all speed it up, so fats are stored in dark, cool, well-filled containers, sometimes with antioxidants or nitrogen flushing.

Question 11Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

In meal planning for a school lunch, pulses, milk, eggs and fish are included mainly because they perform which function in the body?

  1. Supplying the bulk of energy needs
  2. Providing dietary fibre for bowel movement
  3. Supplying vitamin C to prevent scurvy
  4. Building and repairing body tissues Correct answer.

Explanation

Pulses, milk, eggs and fish are protein-rich foods; proteins supply the amino acids needed for growth and for repairing worn-out tissues. Energy needs are met mainly by cereals and fats, while fruits and vegetables are the usual protective foods.

Question 12Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

A balanced diet for an adolescent is best described as one that

  1. contains equal weights of cereals, pulses, fats and sugars
  2. supplies nutrients in excess of recommended allowances to support growth
  3. supplies only the energy needed for daily activity and growth
  4. provides all essential nutrients in amounts meeting the body's needs Correct answer.

Explanation

A balanced diet supplies energy, protein, vitamins and minerals in the proportions the body needs, together with fibre and water. Equal weights of food groups or nutrient excess do not make a diet balanced; only energy is insufficient.

Question 13Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which mineral is required for the formation of haemoglobin, and its deficiency causes anaemia?

  1. Iron Correct answer.
  2. Iodine
  3. Calcium
  4. Sodium

Explanation

Iron is a component of haemoglobin, the pigment that carries oxygen in red blood cells, so iron deficiency leads to anaemia. Iodine is needed for thyroid hormones, calcium for bones and sodium for fluid balance.

Question 14Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

On hydrolysis, one molecule of sucrose yields

  1. one molecule of glucose and one molecule of galactose
  2. two molecules of glucose
  3. one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose Correct answer.
  4. two molecules of fructose

Explanation

Sucrose is a disaccharide made of one glucose unit and one fructose unit, so hydrolysis gives glucose and fructose. Maltose gives two glucose units, while lactose gives glucose and galactose.

Question 15Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

When an egg is boiled, the white changes from a fluid to a firm solid mainly because heat

  1. converts the proteins into carbohydrates
  2. causes the proteins to dissolve more completely in water
  3. denatures the proteins and allows them to coagulate Correct answer.
  4. hydrolyses the proteins into free amino acids

Explanation

Heat breaks the bonds that maintain a protein's folded shape, so the protein is denatured and then coagulates into a firm network. This is a physical change in shape, not conversion to carbohydrate or complete hydrolysis to amino acids.

Question 16Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

A person whose diet is based almost entirely on polished rice is at risk of beri-beri because milling removes which vitamin?

  1. Vitamin A
  2. Thiamine (vitamin B1) Correct answer.
  3. Vitamin D
  4. Vitamin C

Explanation

Thiamine is concentrated in the bran and germ of rice, and polishing removes these layers. A diet dominated by polished rice can therefore lead to thiamine deficiency, which causes beri-beri.

Question 17Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which component of food is largely indigestible by human enzymes, holds water in the intestine and helps prevent constipation?

  1. Sucrose
  2. Casein
  3. Dietary fibre Correct answer.
  4. Starch

Explanation

Dietary fibre, such as cellulose and pectin, is not digested by human enzymes; it retains water and adds bulk that stimulates movement of the intestine. Starch and sucrose are digested, and casein is a protein.

Question 18Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

In the preparation of mayonnaise, egg yolk helps to keep oil and vinegar mixed because it

  1. increases the surface tension between oil and water
  2. reacts chemically with the oil to form a solid
  3. removes water from the oil droplets
  4. contains lecithin with water-loving and fat-loving ends Correct answer.

Explanation

Lecithin in egg yolk is an emulsifier: it lowers interfacial tension and forms a film around oil droplets so they stay dispersed in the vinegar. Surface tension must be lowered, not raised, and the oil is not chemically converted to a solid.

Question 19Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Drying fish and adding a heavy sugar syrup to fruit both preserve food mainly by

  1. supplying nutrients that kill bacteria
  2. increasing the oxygen content of the food
  3. raising the pH of the food above 9
  4. reducing the water activity available to microbes Correct answer.

Explanation

Microorganisms need available water to grow, so drying removes water and a concentrated sugar syrup binds water, lowering water activity. Raising pH, adding nutrients or adding oxygen would not preserve food in this way.

Question 20Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Sugar heated alone without proteins or amino acids turns brown and develops a characteristic flavour. This change is called

  1. gelatinization
  2. enzymatic browning
  3. caramelization Correct answer.
  4. oxidative rancidity

Explanation

Caramelization is the non-enzymatic browning of sugars when they are heated alone. Enzymatic browning needs an enzyme, rancidity is fat oxidation, and gelatinization is the swelling of starch in water.

Question 21Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which vitamin is synthesised in the skin when a person is exposed to sunlight?

  1. Vitamin D Correct answer.
  2. Vitamin C
  3. Vitamin K
  4. Vitamin A

Explanation

Vitamin D is produced in the skin when ultraviolet-B light converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholecalciferol. It is then activated in the liver and kidney and helps regulate calcium and phosphate absorption.

Question 22Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which food is the richest source of calcium among the following?

  1. White sugar
  2. Cooked polished rice
  3. Refined sunflower oil
  4. Milk and curd Correct answer.

Explanation

Milk and curd are rich sources of calcium and also supply phosphorus and protein. Polished rice, refined oil and white sugar contain very little calcium and are not considered protective foods for this mineral.

Question 23Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which substance acts as a chemical leavening agent in baking?

  1. Cornflour
  2. Gelatin
  3. Yeast
  4. Baking soda Correct answer.

Explanation

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which releases carbon dioxide when it reacts with an acid and with heat. This gas expands the batter or dough and gives a light texture.

Question 24Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Why does adding lemon juice to milk cause the milk proteins to curdle?

  1. The acid lowers the pH and neutralises the negative charge on casein micelles, so the proteins clump together. Correct answer.
  2. The acid denatures only the milk fat, allowing the water and protein to separate as a clear whey.
  3. The acid converts lactose into lactic acid, which then solidifies the fat globules and releases water.
  4. The acid raises the pH and dissolves the calcium phosphate, so the casein proteins remain separate in the whey.

Explanation

Casein micelles are kept apart partly by negative surface charges. When acid lowers the pH, those charges are neutralised and the micelles aggregate into curds.

Question 25Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

In food preservation, water activity is best described as:

  1. the total moisture content of a food, usually expressed as the percentage of water by weight in the sample
  2. the volume of water absorbed by one gram of starch when it is heated in excess water during gelatinisation
  3. the amount of water in a food that can be frozen at 0°C and is therefore unavailable to microorganisms
  4. the ratio of water vapour pressure in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature Correct answer.

Explanation

Water activity measures how available water is in a food, not simply how much water it contains. Microorganisms require available water, so lowering water activity helps preserve foods.

Question 26Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Why is yeasted bread dough allowed to prove before baking?

  1. Salt in the dough absorbs water and forms a hard crust on the surface before the loaf is baked.
  2. Yeast ferments sugars and releases carbon dioxide, which is held by the gluten network and expands the dough. Correct answer.
  3. The gluten is completely broken down into simple sugars, making the dough soft, sticky and easy to shape.
  4. The dough loses all its water through evaporation during proving, so it becomes light and porous.

Explanation

During proving, yeast ferments sugars and produces carbon dioxide gas. The gluten network stretches and retains the gas, so the dough rises and develops a lighter crumb.

Question 27Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which practice helps retain the bright green colour of vegetables during cooking?

  1. Cut the vegetables into very small pieces and soak them in water for an hour before cooking.
  2. Cook the vegetables for a long time until they are very soft and the water is fully absorbed.
  3. Add lemon juice to the cooking water to lower the pH and brighten the colour.
  4. Cook them briefly in boiling water and serve without prolonged standing. Correct answer.

Explanation

Chlorophyll gives green vegetables their colour and can change to dull olive-brown pigments when heated with acid or for too long. Brief cooking limits this change and also reduces vitamin loss.

Question 28Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which wheat protein gives dough its elasticity and gas-holding strength?

  1. Collagen
  2. Casein
  3. Glutenin Correct answer.
  4. Albumin

Explanation

Glutenin is the wheat protein that forms long, elastic polymers and gives dough its gas-holding strength. Gliadin, its partner in gluten, contributes extensibility rather than elasticity.

Question 29Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Potato chips fried at too low an oil temperature are often greasy and pale. Which explanation is most accurate?

  1. Low temperature does not drive off surface moisture quickly enough, so the chips absorb more oil and brown slowly. Correct answer.
  2. Low temperature causes the potato starch to gelatinise too slowly and absorb no oil at all.
  3. Low temperature makes the surface dehydrate rapidly, sealing the chips and preventing oil uptake.
  4. Low temperature converts the potato protein into a waterproof layer that traps steam inside the chip and keeps it pale and greasy.

Explanation

Correct frying temperature rapidly removes surface moisture and forms a crisp crust that limits oil absorption. At too low a temperature, moisture remains at the surface, oil penetrates the food and browning is slow.

Question 30Fundamentals of Food and Food Science

Which practice is likely to cause the greatest loss of vitamin C in a vegetable dish?

  1. Stir-frying vegetables quickly in a small amount of oil over high heat and serving at once.
  2. Boiling cut vegetables in plenty of water with baking soda for a long time. Correct answer.
  3. Adding raw vegetables to a salad and tossing them with dressing just before serving.
  4. Steaming whole vegetables until just tender and serving them immediately without holding.

Explanation

Vitamin C is water-soluble and is destroyed by heat, alkali and oxygen. Boiling cut vegetables in a large volume of water allows leaching, and baking soda adds alkaline conditions that speed oxidation and loss.

Question 31Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

In diet planning, one gram of carbohydrate consumed by a hosteller is generally taken to supply how much energy?

  1. 9 kcal
  2. 4 kcal Correct answer.
  3. 2 kcal
  4. 7 kcal

Explanation

Carbohydrate yields about 4 kcal per gram when oxidised in the body, the same value as protein. Fat yields about 9 kcal per gram, and alcohol about 7 kcal per gram. These energy factors are used in diet planning to work out the energy contribution of each food in a menu.

Question 32Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Which statement describes the principle of a balanced diet as applied to an adolescent in a school hostel?

  1. A diet that excludes all visible fats and fried foods in order to prevent obesity and heart disease.
  2. A diet supplying all essential nutrients in the amounts and proportions required for health. Correct answer.
  3. A diet in which cereals and millets supply at least three-fourths of the total daily energy requirement.
  4. A diet that supplies only the minimum energy needed each day to maintain the present body weight without any loss.

Explanation

A balanced diet supplies energy and every essential nutrient - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water - in amounts and proportions that meet the needs of that individual. No single food group can achieve this, so variety and proportionality across the five food groups are essential.

Question 33Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A first-year student who cannot see clearly in dim light after dusk is most likely deficient in which nutrient?

  1. Vitamin C
  2. Thiamine
  3. Vitamin A Correct answer.
  4. Vitamin D

Explanation

Vitamin A is needed to form rhodopsin, the visual pigment of the retina that responds to low light intensity. Its deficiency therefore causes night blindness, and later xerophthalmia. Dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and liver are good sources.

Question 34Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Rice is a poor source of lysine, whereas dal is rich in lysine but poor in methionine. The nutritional principle that explains the benefit of eating rice and dal together is:

  1. Mutual supplementation of limiting amino acids Correct answer.
  2. Action of non-essential amino acids in sparing protein
  3. Protein-sparing effect of dietary carbohydrate
  4. Denaturation of protein during cooking

Explanation

Each food supplies the amino acid that is limiting in the other, so the mixture has a better amino acid profile than either food eaten alone. This mutual supplementation of limiting amino acids is why cereal–pulse combinations are recommended in predominantly vegetarian diets.

Question 35Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A student with chronic constipation is advised to increase whole grains, pulses and vegetables. Which property of dietary fibre mainly explains this advice?

  1. It increases the glycaemic load of each meal.
  2. It is digested by intestinal enzymes into fatty acids that lubricate the colon.
  3. It holds water and adds bulk, promoting peristalsis. Correct answer.
  4. It raises gastric acid secretion and speeds up intestinal movement.

Explanation

Dietary fibre is largely indigestible and holds water in the intestine, increasing stool bulk and softness. The larger volume stimulates peristalsis and shortens transit time, which relieves constipation. Whole grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables are the practical sources to recommend.

Question 36Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Why is the basal metabolic rate of a 15-year-old boy generally higher than that of his 60-year-old grandfather of similar body weight?

  1. BMR rises as body surface area per unit weight increases with age.
  2. Older adults have more muscle and therefore burn more energy at rest.
  3. Metabolically active lean tissue forms a larger proportion of body mass in the adolescent. Correct answer.
  4. Basal metabolism depends mainly on the fat content of the habitual diet.

Explanation

BMR is determined largely by the amount of metabolically active lean tissue, so the growing adolescent with a high proportion of muscle oxidises more energy at rest. After early adulthood, lean mass gradually falls and BMR declines by roughly 2 per cent per decade. Regular activity and adequate protein help to limit this fall.

Question 37Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Why must thiamine and vitamin C be supplied in the diet almost daily, while vitamin A need not be?

  1. Fat-soluble vitamins are synthesised in the body in adequate amounts and so need no dietary source.
  2. Fat-soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine more rapidly than water-soluble vitamins are.
  3. Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and excess is excreted in urine. Correct answer.
  4. Water-soluble vitamins are destroyed during cooking whereas fat-soluble vitamins are relatively heat stable.

Explanation

Water-soluble vitamins are not held in appreciable body stores; the surplus is filtered out and lost in urine, so intake must be regular. Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K are stored in the liver and adipose tissue and can be drawn upon over longer periods. This is also why excessive doses of fat-soluble vitamins are more likely to accumulate to toxic levels.

Question 38Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A meal of rice and spinach is served with a glass of lemon juice. What is the nutritional benefit of this combination?

  1. Lemon juice increases gastric pH and thereby improves the solubility of iron in the gut.
  2. Vitamin C in lemon juice enhances absorption of the non-haem iron in spinach. Correct answer.
  3. Lemon juice supplies haem iron, which compensates for the low iron content of spinach.
  4. Lemon juice provides phytates that bind iron and carry it across the intestinal wall.

Explanation

The iron in spinach is non-haem iron, whose absorption is limited by phytates and oxalates in the meal. Ascorbic acid reduces ferric iron to the more absorbable ferrous form and keeps it soluble, so it can be taken up by the intestinal mucosa. Adding a vitamin C source to cereal- and vegetable-based meals is a practical way to improve iron status.

Question 39Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A 2-year-old child has pitting oedema of the feet and legs, an enlarged fatty liver and sparse depigmented hair, while a sibling with a severe energy deficit shows extreme wasting without oedema. Which explanation best accounts for the oedema in the first child?

  1. Fluid intake is reduced because of anorexia, causing water retention inside the cells.
  2. Excess dietary carbohydrate is converted into fat and deposited in the subcutaneous tissue of the limbs.
  3. A deficiency of vitamin D causes calcium to be deposited in the soft tissues.
  4. Low plasma albumin lowers colloid osmotic pressure, so fluid moves into tissue spaces. Correct answer.

Explanation

The first child shows kwashiorkor, in which protein deficiency reduces plasma albumin synthesis. The fall in plasma colloid osmotic pressure allows fluid to escape from the capillaries into the interstitial spaces, producing oedema. The second child shows marasmus, where the severe energy deficit causes wasting without oedema.

Question 40Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Two breakfasts supply the same total carbohydrate, one from white bread and the other from whole Bengal gram. Which statement best describes the expected post-meal blood glucose response?

  1. The white bread meal produces a lower rise in blood glucose because its starch is digested more slowly than that of Bengal gram.
  2. Both meals produce identical blood glucose curves because the total carbohydrate content is the same.
  3. Bengal gram gives a slower and lower rise in blood glucose because of its fibre and lower glycaemic index. Correct answer.
  4. The Bengal gram meal produces a higher insulin response because its starch is more fully gelatinised during cooking than bread starch.

Explanation

Equal carbohydrate does not mean equal glycaemia: the glycaemic index ranks foods by the blood glucose rise they produce. Whole pulses have more fibre and a more intact cellular structure, so gastric emptying and digestion are slower, flattening the glucose peak. Such low-glycaemic-index choices are useful in planning diets for people with diabetes.

Question 41Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

In a hostel menu, one gram of the nutrient that supplies the most energy per gram contributes how much energy?

  1. 4 kcal
  2. 9 kcal Correct answer.
  3. 2 kcal
  4. 7 kcal

Explanation

Fat is the most energy-dense nutrient, supplying about 9 kcal per gram, while carbohydrate and protein each supply about 4 kcal per gram. This is why fatty foods added to a hostel menu raise the energy value quickly and are restricted while planning economical balanced diets.

Question 42Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

In the five-food-group plan used for planning institutional meals, which group is the richest dietary source of calcium?

  1. Milk and milk products Correct answer.
  2. Cereals and millets
  3. Green leafy vegetables
  4. Pulses and legumes

Explanation

Milk and milk products such as curd and paneer supply large amounts of calcium in a well-absorbed form, which is why they occupy a distinct place in the five-food-group plan. Green leafy vegetables contain calcium but in smaller, less available amounts, and cereals and pulses are comparatively poor sources.

Question 43Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A survey in a hilly block of Tamil Nadu finds several adolescents with swelling at the front of the neck. This sign is most likely caused by a deficiency of which nutrient?

  1. Iron
  2. Calcium
  3. Vitamin A
  4. Iodine Correct answer.

Explanation

Enlargement of the thyroid gland, called goitre, is the classic sign of iodine deficiency because iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. Iron deficiency produces anaemia, calcium deficiency affects bones, and vitamin A deficiency affects the eyes.

Question 44Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A first-year student stays indoors throughout the day and always wears clothing covering the arms and legs. She develops bone pain and muscle weakness. Which nutrient is most likely to be deficient?

  1. Vitamin B12
  2. Iron
  3. Vitamin D Correct answer.
  4. Vitamin C

Explanation

Vitamin D is made in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and it promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus for bone mineralisation. A student with almost no sun exposure therefore risks vitamin D deficiency with bone pain and muscle weakness.

Question 45Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Which set contains only essential amino acids?

  1. Alanine, glycine, serine and tyrosine
  2. Arginine, cysteine, glycine and histidine
  3. Aspartic acid, glutamic acid, proline and cysteine
  4. Leucine, lysine, tryptophan and valine Correct answer.

Explanation

An essential amino acid cannot be made by the body in adequate amounts and must come from the diet; leucine, lysine, tryptophan and valine all belong to this group of nine. The other sets contain non-essential amino acids that the body can synthesise, even though some of them also include an essential member.

Question 46Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A hosteller who drinks strong tea with every meal has low haemoglobin even though she eats green leafy vegetables daily. What is the best explanation?

  1. Tea adds fibre that hurries iron through the intestine
  2. Tea contains oxalates that convert food iron into haem iron
  3. Tea adds phytates that bind calcium and block its absorption
  4. Tannins in tea form insoluble complexes with iron and lower its absorption Correct answer.

Explanation

Tannins and related polyphenols in strong tea bind non-haem iron from vegetables in the intestine and form insoluble complexes that cannot be absorbed. The practical advice is to take tea or coffee between meals rather than with iron-rich foods.

Question 47Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A hostel menu supplies less energy than the students actually need, although the calculated protein in the menu appears adequate. What happens to much of this dietary protein?

  1. It is stored unchanged in the liver until energy intake improves
  2. It is passed out unchanged in the urine because the body cannot use it
  3. It is used to meet energy needs, so less is left for building and repairing tissues Correct answer.
  4. It is turned completely into body fat and never used for energy

Explanation

When carbohydrate and fat do not supply enough energy, the body deaminates amino acids from dietary protein and uses them for energy, so protein is not spared for growth and repair. This protein-sparing action of carbohydrate and fat is why an adequate energy intake must be planned along with protein.

Question 48Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A student complains of cracks at the corners of the mouth, a sore inflamed tongue and greasy scaly patches around the nose. Which vitamin deficiency best fits this picture?

  1. Vitamin A
  2. Riboflavin Correct answer.
  3. Vitamin C
  4. Thiamine

Explanation

Angular stomatitis, cheilosis, glossitis and seborrhoeic dermatitis around the nose and ears are the recognised signs of riboflavin deficiency. Milk, curd, eggs, pulses and green leafy vegetables are good sources, so these foods should be checked in a hostel diet.

Question 49Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

A parent gives a young child large daily spoonfuls of cod liver oil for several weeks. The child then develops headache, vomiting, double vision and bone pain. What is the most likely cause?

  1. Rickets from vitamin D deficiency
  2. Vitamin A toxicity from excessive intake Correct answer.
  3. Goitre from excess iodine
  4. Scurvy from vitamin C deficiency

Explanation

Cod liver oil is very rich in preformed vitamin A, and repeated large doses can raise intracranial pressure, causing headache, vomiting and visual disturbance along with bone pain. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body, so excessive supplementation is harmful, unlike the safe excretion of most excess water-soluble vitamins.

Question 50Principles of Nutrition and Balanced Diet

Egg protein has a biological value close to 94, while wheat protein is about 50. What does this difference mean?

  1. Wheat protein is digested more fully in the intestine than egg protein
  2. Wheat protein supplies every essential amino acid generously
  3. More of the absorbed egg protein is retained by the body Correct answer.
  4. Egg protein provides more energy per gram than wheat protein

Explanation

Biological value compares the nitrogen retained by the body with the nitrogen absorbed from a food protein, so a higher value means a larger share of the absorbed protein is used for growth and maintenance. Egg protein has a well-balanced essential amino acid pattern, whereas wheat is limited in lysine, which lowers its value.